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Roger Conant's Life in East Budleigh, England

Roger Conant was born in East Budleigh, Devon, England and baptized on April 9, 1592.

Roger seems to have had a good childhood and learned the values of honesty, ethical behavior and tolerance from his father and neighbors which served him well later in life when he became a peacemaker
Roger Conant was born in East Budleigh, Devon, England in early April? and baptized on April 9, 1592. He died November 19, 1679 in Massachusetts Bay Colony at the ripe old age of 87. He was the son of Richard Conant and Agnes (née Clarke) of East Budleigh.
Roger seems to be well educated and probably studied at the local vicar’s place. Since he was so close to the shore, he must have spent a lot of time on the beach enjoying the beauty of the area. He may have begun his apprenticeship in the salter business at one of the local tanneries. Since East Budleigh was a rural area, did Roger have farm chores and maybe even had an animal pet or two?
In the 1870s, John Everett Millais painted The Boyhood of Raleigh along this very coast. You can imagine the same world Roger grew up in – wrapped up in these seaside stories of adventurers and explorers who were traveling the world at the Queen’s behest.
About East Budleigh Village
East Budleigh is an ancient village was probably settled by invading Saxons during the late 7th or early 8th century. The earliest mention of the word Budleigh can be found in the Doomsday book where it was spelt Bodelie. William commissioned the Doomsday Book in 1066 the Conqueror as a ‘’Record of Great Inquisition of the lands of England, their extent, value, ownership and liabilities.’
The name Budleigh has changed over the centuries and here are some of the changes that have taken place. 1086 : Bodelie 1125 : Budelega1210 : Budeleghe 1218 : Buteleg1412 : Estbodelegh1671 : Estbudleigh
East Budleigh has not changed very much since Roger's Time
Richard Conant's mill and home
House and mill owned by Roger's father, Richard Conant. Roger was born in this house.
"This mill was owned and occupied by Richard Conant, father of Roger. It will be observed that the part of the stone building at the end farthest from the water-wheel is now used as a residence. The lands owned by Richard Conant probably amounted to about two hundred acres. . . . . and the Conant lands extending to the farm of Sir Walter Raleigh, we may conclude to be the probable extent of the property." Note by Michael Downes, “A small issue is that according to recent research by an East Budleigh historian there is no proof that Roger was born in the mill house. The mill itself is likely to have been leased by the Conant family
Roger's father, Richard, was fairly wealthy; did his house have a privy or bathing facilities?
The Millstone from Richard's mill
The mill is gone now, all that remains is the large mill stone which has been moved to All Saints Church in East Budleigh.
All Saints Church, East Budleigh
The Conant Bench in the Church
"The bench end of the 'Conant pew' bears the arms of Nathaniel Conant, who was knighted in 1813. He was Roger Conant's great-great-great-great-nephew, had never visited America, and probably not East Budleigh."
Roger's Education
Vicar's Mead, erected in 1485, was the old Vicarage House used by successive vicars until the 19th century. A secret passage leading to a cellar was probably used for smuggling brandy and other contraband. At that time East Budleigh was a centre for the distribution of smuggled goods. It is here that the young Walter Raleigh and Roger Conant (c.1592-1679) may have received their early schooling from the vicar
Did Roger meet Sir Walter Raleigh?
Engraving of Roger Conant meeting Sir Walter Raleigh. Conant family tradition says that as a boy young Roger met Sir Walter Raleigh. Image credit: www.lyndon-estate.co.uk
Roger's introduction to salter trade
Hides being processed at J. & F.J. Baker’s tannery Image credit: https://www.colvilleleather.co.uk
Salt was traditionally used in the leather industry to prevent hides from rotting before they are tanned. It is still part of the process used at the centuries-old tannery of J. & F.J. Baker, in Colyton, home to the family of Roger Conant’s mother. Could this be where Roger became interested in the art of the salter?
Christopher's, the former tannery in East BudleighImage credit: Otter Valley Association
Until the 1830s East Budleigh had its own tannery at the house known today as Christopher's, a Grade II listed cob, stone and thatch cottage. For 300 years it flourished as a tannery, supplying tanned hides for boots, shoes, and saddlery, including, it is said, buckets produced for the Tudor navies.
Could this be where Roger became interested in the art of the salter?
Questions about Roger’s life in East Budleigh
1. How did Roger travel around the East Budleigh area? Walking? Oxen or horse drawn wagons? Buggies or Carriages? MGTD or a tractor? 2. Did Roger have a horse? Did Roger have a pet dog? 3. Did Roger play cricket or other sports? 4. How did Roger get to London? It was 150 miles over land and would have been a difficult trip. Ships could dock at the mouth of the River Otter then (later silted and non-navigational); did Roger take a ship to London? Did he travel with Christopher or go later? 5. How were seasonal food crops preserved? Meats and fish were salted, but what about vegetables and fruits? 6. Did Roger ever return to visit his parents from London? Did he write them letters? 7. How many children lived in the area? Did Roger have identified close friends? 8. Are there local records or stories about life in the area in the late 1500s and early 1600s?
The Queen
Queen Elizabeth was the queen while Roger lived in East Budleith and died in 1603 a couple of years before Roger went to London.
Elizabeth I - the last Tudor monarch - was born at Greenwich on 7 September 1533, the daughter of Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn. Her 45-year reign is generally considered one of the most glorious in English history. During it a secure Church of England was established. Its doctrines were laid down in the 39 Articles of 1563, a compromise between Roman Catholicism and ProtestantismElizabeth's reign also saw many voyages of discovery, including those of Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh and Humphrey Gilbert, particularly to the Americas. These expeditions prepared England for an age of colonisation and trade expansion, which Elizabeth herself recognised by establishing the East India Company in at the very end of 1599.The arts flourished during Elizabeth's reign. Country houses such as Longleat and Hardwick Hall were built, miniature painting reached its high point, theatres thrived - the Queen attended the first performance of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. Composers such as William Byrd and Thomas Tallis worked in Elizabeth's court and at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace.Elizabeth I (r.1558-1603) | The Royal Family
Was the time of the Renaissance in England healthy?
• John Conant b. 1480 in Devon, England, lived to age 79 • Dr. John Conant b.1520 in Devon, England, lived to age 76 • Richard Conant b. 1548 in Devon, England, lived to age 82 • Roger Conant b. 1592 in Devon, England 2, lived to age 87 • Lot Conant b. 1624 in New England, lived to age 50
In the centuries between 1200 and 1745, English male aristocrats who made it to their 21st birthday were generally expected to live to an age between 62 and 72 years old.
Roger's Life in london